Soulmates
by Depth of Soul
Summary: Ginny's always been the quiet, shy girl at school who hates attention. So what does she do when Draco Malfoy begins to notice her? Could he be the soulmate she's been waiting for? And what will happen when Fate seems to want to keep them apart?
1. Ginny Weasley

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters and such associated with Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling.  
  
This Chapter's Mood Music: "Wild Child" by Enya  
  
--  
  
Soulmates  
  
Ginny hurried along the passageways of Hogwarts' dungeons as she tried to make it to double Potions in time. "No way am I going to be late for Snape's class like I was for Professor Flitwick's class this morning. I can't believe I overslept on the first day of school!" she thought.  
  
So far, Ginny's first day of her fifth year at Hogwarts hadn't been going her way. She overslept, therefore missing breakfast, and despite her efforts, she was still late for Charms. Luckily, Flitwick didn't give her detention because it was the first day back, and also because Ginny was his favorite student. He would never say this out loud, however, because teachers were expected to be impartial with their students.  
  
Ginny being his favorite student wasn't surprising, though. Charms was Ginny's favorite class, and she was excellent at it. Some of the teachers would compare her to Lily Potter because of her outstanding ability in Charms. Despite this ability, Ginny would still never stand out in class. She was no Hermione, never raising her hand in class even though she always knew the answers.  
  
This was because Ginny hated standing out. After being the youngest of seven children at home, and then playing the part of the quiet, small mousy girl at school her first year and on, Ginny wasn't used to ever being the center of attention. Some people would notice this, seeing her lying on the ground alone near the lake, staring off into space or studying in the library by herself. "Isn't that the smallest Weasley girl?" they'd wonder. "Doesn't she have any friends?" "No one ever talks to the poor girl. I heard that even her brother ignores her." Of course, Ginny never knew that sometimes she would attract attention and pity to herself. If she had known, she would've grown uncomfortable and wouldn't have known what to do. Such was the situation of that morning in Flitwick's class.  
  
--  
  
That morning...  
  
Ginny drew in breath as she ran in five minutes late for Charms. Everyone in the class turned around and all eyes focused on her. They didn't turn back to what they were doing, however, which was usually the case when someone would look at Ginny. Instead, their eyes lingered and they stared at her, mostly because of how Ginny looked.  
  
Over the summer, Ginny had gone through a growth spurt. No longer the short, stick-like child she had been, now Ginny was a woman, by looks at least. She had grown over two inches, and she'd let her hair grow down to the small of her back. Her hair was fiery red, as it had always been, but it was flowing down around her body, much different from the way it usually looked. Ginny usually kept her hair in a tight braid, but she hadn't had enough time to braid it that morning because she woke up so late.  
  
Ginny's mother had taught her how to braid when Ginny was just four years old, and she'd worn her hair in a braid almost every day since. Braiding wasn't the only thing Ginny had gotten from her mother, though. Ginny had recently inherited her mother's full chest, elegant curves, and large hips. Since Ginny wasn't stocky like her mother, the features gave Ginny a beautiful figure.  
  
This didn't go unnoticed by the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors in her Charms class. With her great figure, beautiful, long hair, and the slow blush that was creeping across her cheeks as all eyes in the class gazed upon her, Ginny was attracting a lot of foreign attention. Now all of the girls in the class were either glaring at her in jealousy or staring at her in awe. The guys were almost drooling, and one Hufflepuff boy even let out a slow whistle of appreciation.  
  
"S-Sorry I'm late, Professor. I-It won't happen again," Ginny squeaked out as she took her seat at the back of the class.  
  
"That's all right, Miss Weasley," Professor Flitwick said with a gentle smile. "I was just welcoming the students back from their break. Just don't let this become a habit, now!"  
  
--  
  
Ginny began to blush again at the memory of that morning as she continued to walk through the dungeons. She'd felt like such an idiot, not knowing how to react with so many eyes on her. "I guess Harry wasn't kidding when he told me I looked beautiful back in August!" she thought. A small smile appeared on her face at the thought. "Gosh, if he'd said that to me a few years ago, I would've died from ecstasy."  
  
She shook all thoughts of Harry out of her head as she rounded the corner and walked into the Potions classroom. As she walked in, she pulled her cloak tighter around herself, not to shield herself from the cold, but to avoid another happening like the one in Charms.  
  
Ginny looked around the room, thinking that the only good thing about Potions was the classroom. Unlike everyone else, Ginny found the dark room calming and peaceful. Sure, it was a bit bleak, but the fact that it was so gentle on the senses always seemed to fill Ginny with some sort of serenity. The only extreme in the room was its temperature, which didn't bother her at all.  
  
Ginny stealthily took a deep breath and let the icy cool air fill her nostrils, almost dizzying her. She didn't know why she enjoyed the cold so much, especially considering the fact that it was so contrasting with her fiery red hair. She loved to lie out next to the lake during her free time, letting the cool lake mist seep into her pores as she daydreamed.  
  
Every day, she'd sit and think about the same thing: love. It was on her mind constantly, her mind filled with wonder about true love. She'd always been a firm believer in soulmates, ever since she'd first heard the word used. She'd always sit and daydream about who her soulmate could be. Had she met him yet? Was he handsome? Was he silent and mysterious, or outgoing and open? Did he believe in soulmates too?  
  
She used to write about her thoughts on love in a journal, but that was before she came to Hogwarts. After her traumatic experience in first year, Ginny stopped writing in a journal. She just kept her thoughts inside of her, never writing them down, never telling anyone about them.  
  
Who would she tell, anyway? She had no real friends, not that she was bothered by this. She was completely satisfied with her reclusive lifestyle, only showing her true self to her family, around which she considered herself Virginia. Outgoing, outspoken, fun Virginia was whom she was when she let herself grow comfortable around a person. Quiet, shy, stayed Ginny was the person that everyone else saw her as. Sure, that was who she was too. Introverted Ginny was a part of her, not a split personality. She was just the kind of person to keep herself under wraps unless she truly trusted the person. Of course, trust had been a hard issue for Ginny to deal with ever since the bad judgment she'd made with Tom in her first year. It was true that she hadn't made any real friends since then, but she was fine with it.  
  
Ginny took a seat near the back of the room next to the rest of the fifth year Gryffindors, while the Ravenclaws were all closer to the front in order to hear everything better. Ginny knew that being near the front wouldn't change her performance in class. Potions was forever and always her worst class, and not just because of Snape. It just didn't make much sense to her.  
  
After a few minutes the entire room was full and Professor Snape began the lesson. "Today, you're going to be expected to brew a love potion." Ginny's ears perked up at the words "love potion." "Now, this assignment will be slightly difficult for those of you who aren't very...advanced in this class." Snape's eyes flicked across the back of the room, and Ginny felt that his eyes remained on her longer than on the others. "Love potions are so difficult because of the thing they are meant to recreate. Because love is such a tricky subject, love potions are very challenging. To create love when there is no such thing is--"  
  
"But..." a small voice interrupted Snape.  
  
Snape slowly turned his head to look at Ginny. "You have something you wish to say, Miss Weasley?"  
  
"N-No, Professor."  
  
"Good. Now, as I was saying... Because love is so ambiguous, a lot of pressure is put on love potions to produce the indefinable thought. When a potion must form something that doesn't exist--"  
  
Once more, Ginny felt compelled to say something. Love, not real? How could he say that? "Love does exist!" she found herself saying loudly enough for all to hear. She felt the familiar blush spread across her face as everyone's eyes turned to her.  
  
"What did you say, Miss Weasley?"  
  
Ginny's strong opinion on the subject was the only thing keeping her from staying silent. "I said love DOES exist..." she said a bit louder.  
  
"I don't think you have any room to argue with me on the subject, Miss Weasley, when I am an adult and you are but a mere child," Snape answered with annoyance written all over his face. "Five points from Gryffindor." Ginny could feel her fellow Gryffindors glare at her. "Now, if I may continue with my lesson..."  
  
Now Ginny was getting angry. How could he tell her she's wrong when love is such an obscure subject? "Age has nothing to do with it! How can you teach us love isn't real when love is subjective?"  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed as he said, "I speak from experience. Now, five more points from Gryffindor for questioning authority."  
  
"Just because you've never been in love doesn't mean it doesn't exist..." Ginny mumbled in what she thought was a voice quiet enough for no one to hear. She was wrong.  
  
Snape's expression turned from one of mild annoyance to one of pure malice. The Ravenclaws at the front leaned back in their chairs to get farther away from the seething professor, and one girl even covered her face with her hands.  
  
Ginny stared back at Professor Snape with steady eyes. Just because she was quiet didn't mean she was a coward, especially when it came to something she was so passionate about, even if it had to do with Snape.  
  
"Get out," Snape said in a voice that made it clear that he could blow any second. "I'm sending you to your head of house. Get out."  
  
Ginny didn't need to be told twice. Defiantly, she narrowed her eyes at him and grabbed her things, heading out of the room.  
  
No one noticed when Snape's eyes softened as they gazed upon a photo of a blonde-haired woman on his desk.  
  
--  
  
Please review! 


	2. Draco Malfoy

Disclaimer: I still do not own any characters and such associated with Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling. Why do you keep asking me that?! ^^;  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I have a few things to bring up in this, the second chapter of my fic.  
  
I'm going to create somewhat of a "soundtrack" for this fic... In other words, I'm going to tell you what song I listened to while I was writing each chapter, which I'll post along with the chapter. So they're basically just suggestions for some (somewhat) mood music that you can listen to while you read each chapter. I'll go back and add the song for chapter one, for those of you who've already read chapter one.  
  
I'm currently working on a website (I won't give you guys the address yet because it's still in the beginning stages) to post the small amount of fanart I've done for different things, and at the site I will have a special section for "Soulmates" fanart, where I'll have some sketches and drawings of some characters or scenes from the fic. So look forward to that! ...Or not. I don't really care. I'M excited, at least. ^^  
  
Oh, and be prepared for some average insults from Draco in this chapter. Words like "mudblood," "scarface," and "weasel" will be used frequently, and I have to say that yes, this annoys me. I'm just trying to keep Draco in character. Have you noticed how corny and overused all of his insults are? Hardly any of them are clever or original! So, just know that his verbal abuse against Harry, Ron, and Hermione won't be much different here than it is in the books.  
  
Okay, the rest of the things I'll bring up after this chapter. So look forward to that! ...Or not. ^_~  
  
This Chapter's Song: "Numb" by Linkin Park  
  
--  
  
Soulmates  
  
A thin beam of sunlight slowly made its way across the sixth year Slytherin dorms, widening until it broke through a crack in the silver and green curtains around one of the beds. The stream of light settled across the cheek of a pale face with handsome features and silverish-blonde hair. The eyelids of the light sleeper snapped open at the sudden warmth on his face, revealing soft silver eyes, which then slowly closed once more in comfort. He savored the heat of the sun for a few minutes, basking in the warmth that he was deprived of at his home, Malfoy Manor.  
  
Draco Malfoy reopened his eyes and stared at the intricate carvings in the wood of his four-poster bed's ceiling. "Happy birthday," he whispered to himself. The day was September 2nd, his birthday, and the first day of Draco's sixth year at Hogwarts. Draco didn't care about the fact that it was his sixteenth birthday, however. His parents had never been ones to celebrate such trivial holidays as birthdays, and this apathetic attitude had been passed down to their son.  
  
No one else even knew when Draco's birthday was; they just assumed it was during the summer because he would never talk about it. The only thing Draco ever did to acknowledge his birthday would be to quietly whisper, "Happy birthday" to himself after he would wake up. It was a ritual he began at five years old, when he finally accepted the fact that his family would never celebrate or even mention his birthday. Back then, it had been a way to pretend that the day was a special one, but now it was merely a dumb tradition that for some reason he felt he couldn't break.  
  
Draco reached over and pushed aside the hangings of his bed, searching for his wand. When his slender fingers felt the smooth wood of the object of their search, he grasped the wand and brought it to his face. "Nunc hora," he whispered. Tiny silver beads appeared in the air above Draco's wind tip at his words. The beads spun and rearranged themselves to read 6:47. "Purgo," he said, and the beads vanished back into obscurity. "I might as well go down and eat breakfast since there's no chance of getting any more sleep," he thought as he pushed his hangings all the way to the side. He was met by a deafening snore from either Crabbe or Goyle; he didn't know which.  
  
--  
  
After washing up and getting dressed, Draco made his way to the Great Hall, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. They'd woken up at the sound of Draco running the water for his shower, to the annoyance of Draco.  
  
When the three made it to the Great Hall, most of the school had already taken their seats and begun to eat. Draco smirked at the first years that were shivering with new school jitters. The three laughed at the sight of a first year Hufflepuff accidentally knocking over a pitcher of orange juice. The juice spilled across the table and soaked into the tablecloth, but then suddenly disappeared as an annoyed older student muttered a cleaning spell.  
  
Draco turned his attention to the Slytherin table as he took his seat and began picking his way through the breakfast choices, finally settling on a single banana. "Gosh, Draco, you're so picky!" a high-pitched voice said from behind him.  
  
Draco knew who it was without turning around, and he groaned inwardly. "I just know what I like, Parkinson."  
  
Pansy smirked and leaned down to whisper in his ear in what she thought was a tempting voice but ended up sounding like she had breathing problems. "So do I." Draco mentally rolled his eyes as Pansy pushed Goyle to the side and squeezed in between him and Draco.  
  
Draco looked sideways at Pansy and wondered how he could have ever thought of her as attractive. She had an adequate body and full lips but a pug nose, wiry hair, ears that stuck out marred her appearance, and she wore extremely too much make-up. In addition, she had the personality of dirt.  
  
Suddenly, hooting filled the air as hundreds of owls flew in to drop off the mail. Draco's schedule fell into his lap as he finished off his banana and he glanced down at it. Care of Magical Creatures was his first class, with the Gryffindors, of course. After that he had a free period (a privilege for sixth and seventh years), followed by Herbology with the Ravenclaws... Draco's thoughts were interrupted when a letter landed on top of his plate, triggering beads of sweat to break out on Draco's forehead.  
  
"What's that?" Pansy asked, reaching for it. Draco seized it from her fingers before she could get a glance at it and tucked it inside the pocket of his robes along with his schedule. "Who's it from, Draco?" Pansy asked, trying but failing to mask her hurt.  
  
Draco remained silent as he stood up from the table. Pansy began to follow suit but quickly sat back down at a dangerous glare from Draco, who began to rush out of the Hall and hurry down to the Slytherin common room. He knew whom the letter was from, even though there had been no return address on the envelope. He could recognize that seal anywhere.  
  
"Lucius..." he whispered, clenching the still unopened letter in his fist. His...father. Draco laughed at the thought. Lucius, his father? Lucius was the farthest thing from a father imaginable, with the threats and beatings he would commonly issue to his only son. Dumbledore, the old fool, had been more of a father figure to Draco than Lucius had ever been.  
  
When he was safe in his empty dorm, sitting on his bed with the curtains all closed, Draco pulled out the letter. He knew what was inside before he'd even opened it. Today was the day. The day that Draco had been dreading since he was a child. How could he have possibly forgotten? The thought hadn't crossed his mind that morning until he'd seen the ominous letter land on his breakfast plate.  
  
Draco slit open the envelope with slightly trembling hands and a laugh escaped his lips as he remembered the first years he'd been watching in the Great Hall just minutes earlier. "This is pathetic! I'm quivering like a child!" he thought. Draco breathed in deeply and regained his composure before taking out the slip of parchment and unfolding it, smoothing out the creases. There was no doubt about it—it was Lucius's handwriting, all right. Draco began to read:  
  
"Draco,  
  
As you know, a young man is considered 'of age' when he turns sixteen, which you have turned today. Now you are finally old enough to receive the Dark Mark and become an official Death Eater like myself. I do not have to point out how crucial this initiation will be. If the Dark Lord does not consider you worthy enough to be one of his supporters, then he will reject you and you will be destroyed. I trust you are continuing your study of the Dark Arts in preparation for the initiation process. Your mother and I have agreed that it shall take place on December 25 when you are here for the holidays."  
  
Draco chuckled at the last statement: "Your mother and I have agreed..." There was no doubt in Draco's mind that Narcissa was as excited about Draco's future Death Eater initiation as Lucius was. "She must be SO proud," Draco thought sardonically. "Her son, an official Death Eater like her wonderful husband! She'd probably be one herself if she weren't too cowardly to attempt it, being that she is such an incompetent witch." Draco was surprised Lucius had married such a weak witch, but, then again, Lucius only cared about...physical attributes when it came to his women, and Narcissa satisfied Lucius physically. Draco turned and focused his attention back on the letter.  
  
"I have already informed the Dark Lord of your talents in magic and assured him you are honored to become a Death Eater. I expect you not to disappoint him.  
  
Lucius Malfoy"  
  
"Why does everyone assume I want to be a Death Eater?" Draco growled quietly. "I may do some nasty things, but I would never consider joining the Dark Forces. I'm not like my so-called friends." Draco thought about the people he "hung out with" at Hogwarts. Every single one of them planned to become a Death Eater by next year, since they were all turning sixteen, like Draco, eventually. He didn't know how he could stand them all every day. He didn't like any of the Slytherins, and the only reason he tolerated them was to keep Lucius satisfied. Draco didn't consider any of them real friends. He had no friends, unless you counted Snape. Draco didn't need friends.  
  
He raked his fingers through his slicked-back hair, causing some hairs to stick up wildly. "I must talk to Severus about this." Draco walked back into the common room with the intention of going to Snape about the letter when he noticed the room was empty. "Shoot! Class is about to start! I'll have to go see him during my free period."  
  
Before Care of Magical Creatures, Draco acted as if nothing abnormal had happened. "Draco, honey, what was wrong this morning? Who was that letter from?" Pansy asked, slinking her arms around Draco's waist.  
  
"Nothing," he lied. He smirked as he said, "Just a letter that I wanted to open in private from a girl I met over the summer."  
  
"A-A girl?" Pansy repeated, tightening her hold on Draco as jealousy flashed in her eyes. "Does she mean anything to you? Do you like her?"  
  
Before Draco could come back with a nasty comment, he heard Ron Weasley's voice speak up behind him. "Well, if it isn't the ferret and his little girlfriend," Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione. Draco rolled his eyes as he prepared to throw some meaningless insults at the Dream Team.  
  
"Ron, he heard you! Don't provoke him!" Hermione warned in a hushed whisper.  
  
"I should say the same thing about you and mudblood here, Weasel, "Draco replied, sneering.  
  
Ron's face turned a bright red color, either from embarrassment at Hermione being called his girlfriend, anger at Hermione being called a mudblood, or both. Ron lunged at Malfoy, but was pulled back by none other than Harry Potter. "Let it go, Ron. We don't want a fight on the first day of school."  
  
"Listen to Scarface, Weasley. We wouldn't want you all blooded up and in the infirmary now, would we?"  
  
The three friends all glared at Draco. "Where are your cronies, Malfoy? Did they finally grow sick of you and stop fighting your battles for you?" Harry asked.  
  
Actually, Draco didn't know where they were. They were probably still stuffing their faces in the empty Great Hall, as was custom for them. "At least I don't let a girl fight for me, let alone a mudblood."  
  
Harry reached for his wand, but stopped when he saw Hagrid step out of his hut to begin the day's lesson. "Watch your tongue, Malfoy," he stated simply, walking away. Harry was followed by Hermione and Ron, who threw a nasty glare at Draco as he left.  
  
Draco just smirked, but his smirk was wiped away when Pansy tightened her death grip on Draco's waist once more and said, "You should've just hexed them and been done with it." Draco rolled his eyes at her rash thinking and replied by peeling her arms off of his torso. She then crossed her arms across her chest and huffed.  
  
--  
  
As Draco and Pansy tried to coax their mirsel (a vicious green and blue underwater creature with sharp teeth and six legs) out of its hiding place in its tank, an earsplitting scream filled the air.  
  
"Neville, I told yeh not ter feed 'im more than once!" Hagrid's voice boomed. "Yer jes makin' 'im hungry fer more! That's why he went an' bit yer finger! Harry, Ron, Hermione, could yeh take Neville ter Madame Pomfrey fer me?"  
  
"Of course, Hagrid!" Hermione answered, leading a whimpering and bleeding Neville to the castle as the Slytherins' laughter rang across the grounds. Pansy turned to Draco, waiting expectantly for an insult to be spat at Neville, but the insult never came due to other things being on Draco's mind.  
  
"Oh, it's time fer class ter be over already!" Hagrid exclaimed before Pansy could make mention of Draco's uncharacteristic silence. "Make sure yer mirsels are in their tanks an' safe before yeh head off ter yer next class!"  
  
Draco gathered his things and hurried to the dungeons before Pansy could say anything. "I've got to talk to Snape about Lucius's letter..."  
  
--  
  
Author's Note: Thus ends chapter one! Now for some little notes.  
  
First of all, a quick note about the Latin words used in Draco's spells. "Nunc" means "now, at the present time," "hora" means "hour, time," and "purgo" means "clear away, wash off." So now you know why I chose those words for the spells.  
  
Now it's time for thank you's to all my wonderful reviewers! Thank you's to: BJ, lilblondeiy214, Anjelline, H.S, wellwouldntyouliketoknow, and sabacat  
  
Also, I want to apologize to my readers and reviewers for the obvious clichédness (ooh, made up a word...) of this fic. I realize that there are a billion fics out there where Draco is supposed to be made a Death Eater by his father, whom he hates, when Draco really DOESN'T want to become a Death Eater, blah blah blah... Anyway, being an avid reader of Draco/Ginny fics myself, I've got to say I'm a firm believer in the fact that it's the style of the writer that makes the story what it is, considering that the best plots can be made into the worst fanfics. So, hopefully you guys think my writing skills make my story somewhat readable and just know that this is my first fanfic, so I'm just sort of playing around with different ideas at the moment and I'm still learning. So if you could just be patient with me. :-)  
  
Now do me a favor and please review! 


	3. Chance Meeting

Disclaimer: I'll keep it nice and short. I don't own these characters.  
  
Author's Note: I apologize in advance for this sucky chapter. :-/  
  
Okay, okay, I know that somewhat recently it was made official that Ginny's real name is Genevra, not Virginia, but I'm not going to go back and change it. I, for one, happen to prefer Virginia over Genevra, and as it is my fanFICTION, I'm going to name her as I want her to be named. Flame me if you want to, but I'm not going to change my mind.  
  
This Chapter's Song: "Cathedrals" by Jump Little Children  
  
--  
  
"Well, hasn't this day been absolutely perfect so far?" Ginny mumbled sarcastically as she dragged herself through the dungeons that she'd been in not ten minutes earlier. Every few seconds a torch would emit its burning light onto her features, revealing a beautiful pale face with a mix of anger and anxiousness playing in its eyes. "I wake up late, miss breakfast..." Her stomach confirmed the last statement with a muffled growl of hunger. "I'm late for Charms, I'm missing, therefore _failing_, a day of Potions class, I've already gotten myself on Snape's bad side, I lost ten points for Gryffindor, and I've been sent to McGonagall! All on the first day of school! Ginny, you've got to start watching what you do and say from now on!"  
  
As Ginny continued her bout of self-pity and self-retribution, she caught a glimpse of another figure at the end of the hall hurrying towards her. Ginny wondered whom it could be, since the person was too short to be a teacher. Who would be in the dungeons at this time of day?  
  
As the boy glided steadily nearer to Ginny, she realized it was what seemed to be a handsome male student. His steps expressed urgency and uncertainty, although there was still an arrogant swagger noticeable. His shoes clicked each time they made contact with the floor, and his face seemed to be staring at the ground. He appeared to be oblivious to the fact that he was not alone.  
  
Just then, the figure passed through some torchlight and a gasp escaped Ginny's lips, followed by a groan. "Oh great... Not Malfoy..." she thought. "And I thought this day couldn't get any worse..."  
  
--  
  
Draco strengthened his grip on the parchment in his hand, crumpling it. He was using Lucius's letter as a means to let out his rage, but the rage wasn't directed at Lucius. Years ago he had learned not to waste any of his emotions on Lucius.  
  
No, Draco was in fact infuriated with _himself_, because he knew there was most likely no way out of his situation without putting himself in a lot of danger. He could become a spy like Professor Snape, but this caused Snape to live in a world where every day he feared being caught. Could Draco stand living such a life? He knew he was undeniably strong and clever, but he had to admit that he wouldn't be able to take on Voldemort if he were found out. But if he didn't become a spy, then he'd have to skip the initiation altogether and be on the run at all times...  
  
Draco's thoughts were interrupted as he saw the outline of someone slowly walking towards him, just meters away. Draco hurriedly tucked the balled letter into the inside of his robes before the anonymous person could catch a glimpse of it. The dungeons were very dark, so Draco couldn't make out whom the person was, though he could tell it was a female. As the woman walked under a dimming torch, Draco got a closer look at her, and her beauty was so mesmerizing that any thoughts of Lucius's letter were wiped from his mind momentarily.  
  
Who _was_ this beautiful young girl? He couldn't recognize her, but he knew she didn't look like a first year. She had a petite nose and full lips that seemed bright against her pale skin. Her eyes were bright and her body was shaped perfectly, and her hair... Well, he hadn't gotten a good look at her hair as he had been staring mostly at her face, but in the shadows her hair looked a bright auburn color. Either way, Draco decided from that small glimpse that she was the most attractive creature he'd ever seen, and there was no way he would let her just walk right on by.  
  
As Ginny approached Draco, she moved to the far left side of the hallway in order to avoid him, but he stepped sideways and blocked her path. Instinctively, Ginny began to turn back to the right side of the hall, but once again Draco moved in front of her. Through clenched teeth, Ginny let out, "Could you kindly _step aside_?"  
  
Draco casually leaned his long arm against the wall and looked down at the mysterious girl. Despite the darkness surrounding them, the proximity between the two allowed Draco to make out a dusting of freckles across her nose that he hadn't noticed earlier. Her eyes shimmered with determination and contempt. Smirking, Draco replied, "Maybe I will, after you tell me who you are."  
  
Ginny was taken aback by the comment. "Wh-what?" Was Malfoy just trying to be annoying by pretending to not know whom she was? He _had_ to know it was her! The bright red hair was a dead giveaway! Unless he couldn't make out the color of her hair in the dim light...  
  
"In all my years here, I've never seen your beautiful face around before. What's your name?"  
  
_He actually doesn't know it's me! And he seems to be flirting with me! Maybe I can tell him to call me Virginia, and then flirt back and lead him on a bit as payback for all the torment he's caused my family! ...Oh, who am I kidding? I can't flirt! But... This is your chance, Ginny! Prove to yourself that you can be outgoing whenever you want to be! Do it for yourself!_ Ginny's thoughts were broken as Draco waved his hand in front of her face to grab her attention. "My name?" she squeaked. Draco nodded impatiently. Ginny gulped and said in what she hoped was an alluring tone, "Virginia."  
  
Draco cocked an eyebrow. "Virginia, huh? That's a sexy name. I'm Draco, but you probably already know that because I'm known as the most handsome man here at Hogwarts." After finishing the last sentence, Draco smirked and shifted his head to give Ginny a better view of his 'handsome' features.  
  
Despite Draco's extremely distracting good looks, Ginny was able to answer nonchalantly. "Yes, I've definitely heard of you. However, from what I see, I can't imagine why anyone would call you the most handsome man here," she replied, smirking. _Ginny, you're doing it! You're teasing him and flirting with him, and you're not even acting nervous!  
_  
"Oh, really? Well I think you're lying. I think you find me awfully attractive and it's taking all of your self-control to keep from jumping on me and snogging me senseless."  
  
A genuine, heartfelt laugh escaped Ginny's lips at Draco's words. "I think maybe you're confusing my emotions with yours, Draco." Ginny paused for a split second at the foreign feel of his first name on her lips, then went on. "Please try and hold yourself back as I continue on my way." Before Draco could react, Ginny lifted his arm that had been set in a barrier in front of her and walked onward, assuming that he wouldn't follow her.  
  
Draco watched in minor shock as Ginny walked up the cement steps out of the dungeons and opened the tall wooden door at the top. In the light from the doorway, Draco could see Ginny's hips gently swaying, long, fiery red hair bouncing against her shoulders as she stepped into the light and closed the door behind her. Wait... Fiery red hair? Only one girl was known to have hair that color at Hogwarts... "_Weasley_?!"  
  
--  
  
After getting over the shocking revelation that the very beauty he had been talking to was in fact the youngest Weasley girl, Draco found himself walking back down to Snape's room to talk to the professor. However, thoughts of Virginia persisted in floating around in his mind.  
  
Had that actually been little Ginny Weasley? She had definitely grown, and she had worn her hair down, giving everyone a glimpse of her gorgeous red locks. The mousy girl had apparently changed not only in appearance, but in personality, too. Draco remembered when she was just a first year, crushing on that blasted Harry Potter and sending him that cheesy valentine. If this were the same Ginny Weasley, how come she had not cowered under his sheer presence? Needless to say, Draco was very intrigued by the changed young woman, and he vowed to find out more about her. However, at the moment he had more important things to worry about.  
  
When Draco reached the door to the potions room, he strode through without knocking, as he preferred to catch everyone's attention right when he walked into a room. All eyes turned to Draco as he stepped inside, and he glared at the students in a menacing way, causing them to turn back to their cauldrons. Walking forward to Professor Snape's desk, Draco leaned over and spoke in a hushed voice that was barely audible. "Severus, I must speak with you. Privately."  
  
With a curt nod, Professor Snape led Draco into his office, locking the door behind them and placing a silencing charm on the room. Turning to Draco, Snape's face turned even more serious than usual. "Is it about the initiation, Draco?"  
  
Draco nodded, depositing the wadded up letter into Snape's hands, who flattened it out with an annoyed look on his face. Once the letter was straightened out enough for Snape, he began to silently read Lucius's words. After finishing, Snape returned the letter to its rightful owner and sat down behind his desk. "Sit," he commanded Draco, who quietly obeyed. "Now, what exactly is the problem?"  
  
At these words, Draco blew up. "WHAT'S the PROBLEM?! What do you _mean_ what's the problem?! My initiation is in less than four months and I have no idea what to do!"  
  
"Draco, I thought you were more rational than this." Draco slumped down into his chair and ran his hand through his hair like he always did when he was aggravated. He hated being insulted, but he decided now was not the time to get into a fight with Snape. "There's nothing new or unexpected in that letter, and we've talked about all of this before. I told you that he'd already set the date, and I told you that you had a choice to make."  
  
Draco looked up at Snape, glaring at him as if all of this was to blamed on him. "There's _got _to be another way, Severus."  
  
"Draco, you know the options! You can tell Lucius that you refuse to become a Death Eater and live on the run, or you can go to the initiation and become a Death Eater, spying for our side, like myself. Those are your two options."  
  
Draco shifted in his seat, sitting straight in the chair once more so that he was on eye level with Professor Snape. "I do _not_ want to live the life that you live, Severus. I think it is utterly foolish and it is way too risky for my liking. I thought I'd made myself clear on that."  
  
"Then you choose to defy Lucius and the rest of the Death Eaters. That's the only other option there is, unless you want to completely give up and join the Dark Side, becoming a loyal Death Eater."  
  
Draco's eyes hardened on Snape in a way that said, without words, that they both knew that Draco would rather kill himself than choose the Dark Side. "Those can't be the only ways, Snape!"  
  
"What do you plan to DO then, Mr. Malfoy? Go on to the initiation and single-handedly battle dozens of Death Eaters? Oh, and let's not forget that the Dark Lord _himself _will be there. Do you plan to kill him, too? Do you wish to be the hero and end the entire war all on your own?"  
  
"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, Severus. I'm just saying that the number of options that I've been given seems irritatingly low, and I feel as if we haven't thought things through all the way."  
  
"Believe me, Draco, I have thought this through and through. Don't you think I would know about this sort of thing from experience? It kills me that you're having to go through this, and if there were some way that you could get out of it without being in danger, then I would have thought of it. I've already trusted you to the point where I've told you about my job as a spy for Dumbledore, and I trust you now to make a smart decision. Now... What path will you choose?"  
  
An uncomfortable silence filled the room as Draco sat contemplating, trying to figure out if he even had a choice. It seemed that anything he came up with was either completely irrational or he refused to go through with it. Five minutes of this passed by, with Snape waiting patiently for Draco's answer.  
  
Finally, Draco spoke up. "I suppose I have no choice. I will tell Lucius that I won't take part in the initiation."  
  
A rare smile spread across Snape's features. "I respect your decision, Mr. Malfoy. Now, you must wait until the beginning of the holidays to actually speak with Lucius about it. If we did it any sooner, then it would only cause you to be in hiding longer than you have to. Once the holidays draw near, we will have to discuss arrangements with Professor Dumbledore, as he will have to be informed of the dangers you will be in for the remainder of your time at Hogwarts. If the war is still going on after you graduate, then we will have to prepare for you to live on the run. We do not have to worry about either right now, not until you speak to Lucius about it."  
  
"Thank you, Professor. Truly." Draco stood up from his chair and waited for Professor Snape to unlock the door, then he left the dungeons without another word.  
  
--  
  
"Ginny, what's this I hear about you standing up to Snape this morning?" Ron asked in an excited voice as he slapped Ginny on the back at lunch.  
  
Ginny coughed into her pumpkin juice, half swallowing and half breathing in the beverage. After noticing that Ginny was choking, Hermione began to gently thump her on the back to help her cough it out. When Ginny caught her breath, she scolded, "Ron! You almost killed me! Don't do that!"  
  
"He's sorry, Ginny," Harry apologized, trying to get to the point of the conversation. "But we heard from a few sixth years that you stood up to Snape this morning! Is that true?"  
  
Before Ginny could speak, Ron added, "Yeah, what happened? What'd you say?"  
  
With the trio's full attention on her, Ginny began to tell them what had happened in potions that morning and how infuriated Snape had grown.  
  
"Whoa," Ron muttered.  
  
"What exactly about what you said made him so mad?" Harry wondered.  
  
"You guys, she accused him of never having been in love and he went crazy! I think it's pretty obvious what's going on!" Harry, Ron, and Ginny stared at Hermione blankly. "He obviously was once in love! Why else would he have been so insulted by her comment? I'm betting that things went wrong, though, and when you reminded him of the painful memory, he let out his fury on you."  
  
"Wow..." Harry replied. "_Snape_? In _love_? I don't know about that... It's too hard to imagine."  
  
"It's IMPOSSIBLE to imagine!" Ron exclaimed. "Snape doesn't know how to love! That would be completely disturbing!"  
  
"But Hermione, how could he have been in love once?" Ginny began. "He made it quite clear that he didn't believe in it!"  
  
Hermione shrugged slightly, replying, "Well, sometimes people grow bitter and negative towards love if there's something in their past that has turned them off of it."  
  
"So, what exactly did Snape do to you?" Harry asked in an attempt to end the talk of Snape ever being with a woman.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes, showing that she didn't care about the fact that she'd gotten in trouble. "He sent me to McGonagall." It was funny how earlier that morning, Ginny had been a wreck over being sent out of class, but after the run-in with Malfoy, Ginny felt like a new person. That conversation had been so liberating—strange, but liberating nonetheless. After it, she had decided she would try to act more like Virginia and less like Ginny from now on.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Hermione breathed. "He sent you to McGonagall?! What did she do?"  
  
"She was shocked at first as to why Snape sent me to her instead of dealing with me himself, but after I told her what I'd done, she seemed to understand why Snape had been so angry that he couldn't trust himself to punish me."  
  
"See? McGonagall must know about Snape's old love!" Hermione reasoned, as Harry nodded in agreement and Ron sneered in disgust at the thought.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so..." Ginny answered. She was beginning to grow tired of the conversation, so she finished, "Anyway, so McGonagall gave me a week's detention that I start tonight, but it's no big deal. Well, I'm going to go ahead and head off to class, as I don't want to be late for the second time this morning. Bye!" Ginny grabbed her uneaten sandwich and took a bite, picking up her things. After the trio said their goodbyes and Hermione quickly complimented Ginny on her hair being down, Ginny hurried out of the Great Hall to Care of Magical Creatures.  
  
--  
  
Author's Note: Sorry it's so bad, and sorry it's so short. I had imagined this chapter would turn out longer. Oh, well. But there was a lot more dialogue in this chapter, so I hope you liked that. =)  
  
Thank you's time!:  
  
CoolMilena – Thanks! =D Sorry it's taken so long for the third chapter to come out.  
  
Ehlonna – Thank you! I hope that means you'll keep reading, even though it's taken me over two months to post the new chapter...  
  
punklunargoddess0 – Thanks! Yeah, I was trying to put sort of a new twist on things by having Ron get Draco riled up first, just because I believe that that's a realistic view of things. Considering that Ron has such a temper and he knows Draco will almost always say something to get him mad, I thought it'd be nice to have Ron get to Draco first. (Plus, it's not like Ron is the most mature guy in the universe, so it's not very OOC.)  
  
Icelandic Morning Glory ) – Aww, thanks so much! I'm glad that you plan to continue reading the story. And a sincere thank you for your comments. It just was bugging me a bit that I'd used clichés, but your review helped a lot. Anyway, some other fics I have started aren't as clichéd, so I'm really excited about those.  
  
Now... please review!!! I've got a fever... And the only prescription is more cowbell! I mean, reviews! (Anyone recognize that quote?) The doctor told me that if I don't get any reviews, then there will be no hope of living for me. So if you don't review, then I'll die! Now can you _really_ live with my death on your conscience? So **REVIEW!!!!**


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